In the light of a growing awareness of the risks of inducing skin injuries as a consequence of fluoroscopically guided interventional procedures, this paper compares three methods of monitoring entrance surface dose. It also reports measurements of ESDs made during the period August 1998 to June 1999 on 137 patients undergoing cardiac, neurological and general FGIPs. Although the sample is small, the results reinforce the need for routine assessment would seem to be arrays of TLDs. However, transducer based methods, although likely to be less accurate, have considerable advantages in relation to a continuous monitoring programme. It is also suggested that there may be the potential locally for threshold dose area product values to be set for specific procedures. These could be used to provide early warning of the potential for skin injuries.

To find out how consistent or variable is the understanding and practice of radiation protection procedures for women in the childbearing age at a multispecialty tertiary hospital. A questionnaire was distributed during grand rounds, mid-day clinics and a radiology conference. Questions included which radiation protection rule does the respondent use for females, whether, he or she is familiar with those rules and what is his or her source of reference. Further questions were about the radiation dangers to the fetus. The understanding and practice of radiation protection guidelines for females is inconsistent. There is significant unfamiliarity with the radiation protection rules among our hospital practitioners.

A number of IAEA Member States are undertaking to strengthen their radiation protection and safety infrastructures in order to facilitate the adoption of the requirements established in the Sponsoring Organizations. In this connection, the IAEA has developed a technical cooperation programme (Model Project on Upgrading Radiation Protection Infrastructure) to improve radiation protection and safety infrastructures in 51 Member States, taking into account national profiles and needs of the individual participating countries. The present report deals with the elements of a regulatory infrastructure for radiation protection and safety and intends to facilitate the implementation of the Basic Safety Standards in practice.

The IAEA’s Statute authorizes the Agency to establish safety standards to protect health and minimize danger to life and property. Safety standards are only effective, if they are properly applied in practice. Regulating nuclear and radiation safety is a national responsibility, and many Member States have decided to adopt the IAEA’s safety standards for use in their national regulations. For the Contracting Parties to the various international safety conventions, IAEA standards provide a consistent, reliable means of ensuring the effective fulfillment of obligations under the conventions. The standards are also applied by designers, manufacturers and operators around the world to enhance nuclear and radiation safety in power generation, medicine, industry, agriculture, research and education. The IAEA takes seriously the enduring challenge for users and regulators everywhere: that of ensuring a high level of safety in the use of nuclear materials and radiation sources around the world.

The IAEA’s Statute authorizes the Agency to establish safety standards to protect health and minimize danger to life and property. Safety standards are only effective, if they are properly applied in practice. Regulating nuclear and radiation safety is a national responsibility, and many Member States have decided to adopt the IAEA’s safety standards for use in their national regulations. For the Contracting Parties to the various international safety conventions, IAEA standards provide a consistent, reliable means of ensuring the effective fulfillment of obligations under the conventions. The standards are also applied by designers, manufacturers and operators around the world to enhance nuclear and radiation safety in power generation, medicine, industry, agriculture, research and education. The IAEA takes seriously the enduring challenge for users and regulators everywhere: that of ensuring a high level of safety in the use of nuclear materials and radiation sources around the world.

Public concern over the possible health effects fromelcctromagnetic fields (EMF) has led to the preparation of this handbook. Potential risk of EMF exposure from facilities such as power lines or mobile phone base stations present a difficult set of challenges for decision- makers. The challenges include determining if there is a hazard from EMF exposure and what the potential health impact, i.e. risk assessment; recognizing the reasons why the public may be concerned, i.e. risk perception; and implementing policies that protect public health and respond to public concerns, i.e. management.

Recognizing the importance of accurate dosage in radiation therapy, the International Atomic Energy Agency initiated a progamme in dosimetry of ionizing radiations soon after its foundation. At that time neither national nor international absorbed dose standards existed, so a transportable absorbed dose calorimeter was designed and built in the Agency’s Laboratory as early as 1960. Being one of the first instruments of its type, this calorimeter was used for making absolute dose measurements and dose intercomparisons with other dose reference instruments. A few years later, the proposal was made to organize a dose intercomparison service by mail for radiations therapy departments.

The structure of this Code of Practice differs from that of TRS-277 and more closely resembles that of TRS-381 in that the practical recommendations and data for each radiation type have been placed in an individual section devoted to that radiation type. Each essentially forms a different Code of Practice and includes detailed procedures and worksheets. The Code is addressed to users provided with calibrations in terms of absorbed dose to water traceable to a Primary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory. This category of users is likely to become the large majority since most standard laboratories are prepared to, or are planning to, supply calibrations in terms of absorbed dose to water at the reference radiation qualities recommended in this Code of Practice. Users who are not yet provided with calibrations in terms of absorbed dose to water may still refer to the current air kerma based codes of practice, such as TRS-277 and TRS-381, or adopt the present document using a calibration factor in terms of absorbed dose to water derived from an air kerma calibration as described in the text.

This innovative manual is design to provide an expanding set of resources that will assist in the planning and the conduct of innovative training programs designed to promote popular participation. Volume 2 Data on three types of resources: specific examples of training activities currently being carried out or successfully completed in various countries.

This innovative manual is design to provide an expanding set of resources that will assist in the planning and the conduct of innovative training programs designed to promote popular participation. Volume 3 comprehensive training approaches that have been theoretically developed and tested.